Recommendation For Transmission Cooler on 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LS With 4.8 Liter V8

Question:

Hi, I have a 08 silverado 1500 ls V8 4.8 liter, it has 20 inch rims and 33 inch tires. When towing my boat around town my transmisson temp goes up to 215 degrees. I also tow my boat from Miami, FL to Fort Myers several times a year during the summer. Its about 160 miles of non-stop 60 mph sometimes 65mph. On one hot day the tranny temp got as high as 230. My dash lights started to flash advising too hot. I do have a factory transmisson cooler which is installed on the top right of radiator. Its about 2inch wide and 12 inches in height. What cooler do recommend for my truck? I would be removing the factory cooler to install the cooler you recommend. Thanks,

asked by: L. D

Expert Reply:

Ideally you want to keep the temperature of the transmission fluid in the 160 to 200 degree range. You cannot cool transmission fluid too much.

Transmission coolers are universal fit items so you will want to measure the space you have in front of your air conditioning condenser or your radiator to see what size cooler will fit your 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500.

Installing an additional transmission cooler in-line with the current transmission cooler would help in cooling the transmission fluid, so I would not recommend to remove your current factory transmission cooler.

The item you selected, the Derale Series 8000 Transmission Cooler Kit, part # D13502, would be a good choice as it will work great with your 4.8 liter V8 engine. It measures 11 inches wide x 7-1/4 inches tall x 7/8 inch deep. It is a Class II rated cooler which means it is rated for towing up to 3,500 lbs. If you wanted to go larger you can go to the Derale Series 8000 Transmission Cooler Kit, part # D13503. It is rated as a Class III cooler which is rated for towing up to 6,000 lbs. It measures 11 inches wide x 8-3/4 inches tall x 7/8 inch deep.

To install either cooler on your Chevrolet Silverado you will also need the Derale Radiator Adapter Fitting, part # D13035. This fitting will allow you to connect your aftermarket transmission cooler to your 5/16 inch transmission lines.

I am including links to a couple of FAQ pages on transmission coolers and a link to a video review of the # D13503 transmission cooler.

expert reply by: Jeff D